ESL in TN: Electrostatic loudspeaker

My experiences and thoughts about teaching English as a Second Language.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Disheartened

Yahoo! Avatars
I've been thinking a lot nowadays, especially about the evils of the internet that still pull us into a sort of hell. I came across this atrocious website about EFL teaching that reminds me too much of the attitude of some of the teachers on Jeju:
http://www.englishteacherx.com/
This site admittedly does have a few truthful sad things about Institutions overseas, but it can't help that the person who wrote it is extremely unqualified and is only in a foreign country to get drunk, high, or have sex with locals. What kind of image is this for students? This site is horribly appalling. There is even a page to help you "teach with a hangover". I was also insulted by the fact that interviews with other teachers showed that they had no problem with "shagging" other students, and that they became an English teacher because "they are a loser and have nothing else to do".
Do I really have nothing else to do? That's the same excuse for UT art majors. And I can draw.
Oh yes, teaching English in another foreign country is so horrible. This is true if all you expect is a vacation where you get drunk and have sex all the time. That is pretty horrible, no matter where you go.
Some of the teachers said they had "fallen into teaching English". One person even said, "No one ever says 'I want to be like Stephen Krashen'." Oh really? No one?
I feel really sorry for people that are "taught" by these kinds of people (men, no doubt). A light of hope dawns on me that even without training I'm already better than these fools. It makes me so angry. So let's go onto something happier!
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Using comics for readings?
I don't know if there are any articles or research about this, but I think it would be helpful to use them in English, especially if you are teaching East Asians whom might be familiar with the storylines already. I learned in class that that helps people learn English...
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After reading many people's ESL / EFL blogs here, I realized, they are all already teachers. I'm just a student studying to become a teacher. It makes me feel like my writings are naive, ignorant, useless. But even if no one else in this big techo-world reads this, I know I will look back and see how much Ive grown, and then I will decide whether or not I was truly naive.
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I saw on TV and ad for some online college where you can get your BA in education.
#1: I don't think it should be legal for someone to get a education degree online. It seems a little too impersonal and easy. Unless for exceptions like disability, it doesn't seem right.
#2: Just a BA? Can just four years (two of which are usually spent on unrelated prerequisites) prepare you with the knowledge you need for your whole teaching career? Remember, it's a "practice". Ancient China honored scholars and teachers, as they taught and learned their whole lives (however, a great deal of it was memorizing Confucian texts). To be a great teacher, one must learn their whole lives, not just 2 years. Plus getting a MA pays better. And for me, it's the only choice I have. I guess the same could be said about me not wanting to get a PhD. I just want to get out there. I will want to study things on my own, however.

8 Comments:

  • At 9/07/2006 1:43 AM, Anonymous em said…

    Unfortunately, there are many teachers out there who do get drunk and shag students and fail to teach anything. It makes the rest of us look bad. However, the englishteacherx website is probably just a way of venting or letting off steam. It probably speaks for a minority.

     
  • At 10/16/2006 3:46 AM, Blogger chris said…

    yeah, i think etx is just a place for venting and exaggerating. you can't take it too seriously, although there is a sad grain of truth to it.

     
  • At 11/08/2006 12:55 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    x speaks the truth. for guys anyways. the teaching can be fun and rewarding. but it's also very exciting to be in a different country and to try and bone as many hotties as you can.

     
  • At 12/19/2006 4:49 AM, Anonymous annie_chang said…

    i am nothing too special as a teacher. i do my very best. but i have to say that i am someone seeking to have anywhere that i teach in the world, the same, professional standards of teaching that my home country (australia) demands.
    many issues about standards of teacher's behaviour, including sexual harrassment of students have been dealt with in australia and other western countries. sadly though, the useless 'riff-raff' of these countries - those who have difficulties in finding employment or finding a stable relationship - end up making damn fools of themselves in other countries.
    slowly, slowly things will change - standards will change and the 'riff-raff' will have to find other forms of employment.... maybe in prison!!
    meanwhile ... we have to put up with them

     
  • At 7/02/2007 10:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    You are boring and so is your blog.

     
  • At 10/31/2007 12:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    X is a pimp. Your just a student, you haven't taught yet. X has taught for over 7 years. Go over to russia and find out how welcoming they are to forigners. Whats the point of going to college/university for 4 years, taking your TEFL/CELTA, spending all that money, to go to another country and get paid 700-1200 a month and, ripped off any chance you get. Experience something before you speak about it like you know everything about it.

     
  • At 12/12/2007 12:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    englishteacherx is a bit of fun. Big deal.

     
  • At 3/03/2008 1:12 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    It's always those who profess to be the most moral that turn out to be the least.

    Atleast X is honest which you won't be when you try to square your petty moralising with real life.

    I despise judgemental people like you.

     

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